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FINAL Current Developments at the Intersection of British Children ONLINE VERSION
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Outline and aim of the project Against the background of the current upsurge and popularity of fantasy in general, fantasy for children has become topical again. Just like fantasy for adults, fantasy for children has long been ignored and intentionally excluded from national and/ or high literature. Its 14 fancy worlds, topics, characters and addressees were considered unfit for serious study. Said to be lacking complexity and literary quality, i.e. status, the entire field of children’s literature was labelled literature for beginners and got pushed aside into the corner of pedagogical early education. Instead of postulating a traditional strict segregation between a prestigious, elitist and possibly sterile literature for adults on the one hand and a base, vulgar one for children on the other hand, it is far more beneficial to acknowledge that children’s literature is literature after all and needs to be treated as such. Adult “high literature” and children’s literature are not incompatible or alien to each other. On the contrary: They have more in common than many think or consider safe to admit. In their increasing mutual points of contact lies dormant a potential which should be nurtured instead of ignored. However, at the turn of the millennium, fantasy has succeeded in firmly establishing itself as a discipline in its own respect. Whereas it may still be eyed suspiciously by some institutions, fantasy has cast off its stigma and emancipated itself. At this point of the actual discussion our study sets in. Its aim will be a topographical one, namely projecting to survey and sketch a first rough draft of a map of the present territory of British children’s fantasy. Given the hundreds of publications of fantasy novels for children in Britain each year, this work strives to present a cross-section of the dynamic field rather than a complete inventory. Among other things, more detailed stocktaking requires some temporal distance for the examination and evaluation of a huge dynamic field. So instead of claiming utopian completeness, the pioneering feat of the present format is fully intentional, with a view to providing a general idea and initiatory guidance as well as impulses for future research. An overview of historically important developments and their influence on current children’s fantasy introduces the topical discussion. The main part of this study is concerned with establishing the present position of British children’s fantasy and exploring its contemporary contents, boundaries and specific characteristics. On the basis of our findings we can then venture a careful prognosis about the possible direction(s) in which children’s fantasy is heading. So far no publication has comprehensively analysed the current developments of British children’s fantasy novels under the formulation of the topic. Certainly a great many books are being investigated. Also, singular phenomena are examined or specialist theories applied. In addition to comparative approaches to works and their translations extensive encyclopedias are drawn up. However, this does not go into the particular developments in the 15 field of British fantasy novels for children. This is where the present study seeks to make its contribution. The focus of the topical research is shifting noticeably from a longstanding theoretical one towards a more practically oriented alignment. Accordingly, this study focuses on concrete phenomena. In order to be able to present a more neutral cross-section of the genre, I consciously fade out literary theories. With the help of this corpus or similar corpora future studies will then be able to apply literary approaches and methods to analyse specific phenomena. In the following, I would like to concentrate especially on three main areas of interest. These are, firstly, the discussion of traditional elements; secondly, modern elements and, thirdly, innovations in the field of the British fantasy novel for children. These three areas are subdivided into individual aspects, in the light of which the current situation and developments shall be demonstrated. While doing so, textual and stylistic but also moral phenomena are being analysed. Unlike many other works in the field, these selected areas are not determined by one or more set theories. Rather, the aim is to present and interpret the findings as neutral as possible. By offering a first, more open overview, future studies by various disciplines can be facilitated. However, the field is already wide. Boosted by the sustained boom current British children’s fantasy witnesses especially around the turn of the millennium, it enlarges constantly further. Its vastness holds not only advantages in the form of diversity and inventiveness but it can also be a source of confusion and wooliness. What distinguishes the present approach from others is therefore its conscious admission that a complete stocktaking, desirable and needed as it would be, cannot and shall not be accomplished in this study. Rather, it is a matter of working out and analysing exemplary contents, forms and characteristics of one specific, tightly outlined area. By attaching great importance to introducing more structure and thus clarity in the analyses splintering in just this area may be prevented. Fantasy as subject matter offers the mentioned vast field with a large number of yearly publications. Widely read, it is highly topical and carries increasingly social, philosophical, ethical and depth psychological implications. What makes studying fantasy such an interesting task is not simply its own potential but also its importance for its readers. Since fantasy literature mirrors, digests and comments upon the state of society, or, in the wider sense, of humankind in general, the impetus it can have on its readers’ self-image and world view should not underestimated. As a strong genre, fantasy unites. Received as it is by young and old alike, it also supersedes social strata. As a result, the discussion of fantasy is diverse, animated and offers a broad spectrum for analyses of every kind. 16 In summary, the aim of this project is to portray the current developments of British fantasy for children. At the same time, it is my endeavour to offer a platform for future discussion and research of new children’s fantasy. I am aware of the inherent yet ineluctable limitations of the scope of work. Nevertheless, it is just these gaps which underline and corroborate the urgency of further research. Download 1.22 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
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